Webquest: Halloween
by Luke Vyner
Warmer
What do you know about Halloween?
Activity 1: Halloween’s history
Visit www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween and read the first section
entitled Ancient origins of Halloween.
Look for the answers to these 13 (unlucky for some)questions. Share your answers with your classmates.
1. Where is the celebration of Halloween thought to have come from?
2. The Celts occupied an area of land covering three modern-day countries or regions. Which
are they?
3. Why did the Celts celebrate ‘Samhain’ on the night of 31 October?
4. What did the Celts believe the ghosts of the dead would cause damage and trouble to?
5. To commemorate the event, what did the Druids build?
6. What costumes did they wear?
7. What did they re-light to help protect them from the coming winter?
8. By 43 AD, who had mostly conquered the Celts?
9. What two other festivals were combined with ‘Samhain’?
10. After many changes due to the spread of Christianity, what new celebration was created
in 1000 AD?
11. What were the similarities between this day and ‘Samhain’?
12. What was another name given to this celebration?
13. What was the night before called and what did this finally become?
Discussion
• Are you surprised by the history of Halloween?
• Do you know any other stories about its origins?
• Are there any celebrations in your country that have a strange and uncertain history?
• Do you agree with this type of celebration?
• Do you believe in ghosts and the supernatural?
Activity 2: Popular Halloween traditions
Jack-o’-lantern
Read the introductory paragraph at www.history.com/topics/jack-olantern-history
and describe the jack-o’-lantern tradition to your partner.
Then, read the full article entitled The Legend of “Stingy Jack”. Look for the answers to the
following questions. Share your answers with your classmates.
1. The jack-o’-lantern tradition originated from which Irish myth?
2. What did Jack do with the coin instead? Why?
3. Under what condition did Jack free the devil?
4. What trick did Jack play the following year and how did he prevent the devil coming
down from the tree?
5. What happened soon after?
6. What problem did Jack then face?
7. What did the Irish call Jack’s ghost?
8. What did the Irish then begin to make and place in their windows and doorways and why?
9. What did the vegetable become in America?
Apple-bobbing
Read the first paragraph of this website link about the rules of apple-bobbing:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_bobbing.
Answer the following questions and share your answers with a partner.
1. How do you set up the game?
2. Why are apples used?
3. What do players use to catch the apples?
4. Which part of their body are they prevented from using?
Trick-or-treating
Read the first two paragraphs of this website link about the tradition of ‘trick-or-treating’:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trick-or-treating and answer the following questions, sharing
your answers with a partner.
1. What do children ask for when they travel from house to house?
2. What do children say when they arrive at a house?
3. What is usually the ‘trick’?
4. Since when has this tradition been practised in North America?
6. Since when have people in Britain and Ireland practised the tradition of asking for food
at Halloween?
7. What else have they done since then?
8. Trick-or-treating has become prevalent in countries outside of America – what do the
children ask for in Mexico?
Discussion
• Have you ever practised any of these traditions? If so, which is your favourite? If not, which
do you think sounds the most fun?
• Have you ever seen a real carved-out jack-o’-lantern? Have you ever designed one
yourself? Would you like to make one with your classmates?
• Do you think you would be good at apple-bobbing? Would you like to have an apple-
bobbing competition with your classmates? Who do you think would win?
• Would you be interested in going trick-or-treating? If so, what would be your costume of
choice? What trick would you play?
• If you had some children knocking on your door, would you opt for giving them a treat or
accept the trick?
• How do you think people from your country would respond to trick-or-treaters?
Activity 3: Halloween around the world
Although Halloween is often seen as a predominantly American celebration, you’ll be
surprised to know that many countries around the world also celebrate Halloween. Many have
their own unique traditions.
a. Tell your classmates if and how your country celebrates Halloween.
b. Your teacher will give you a country or countries to research from this website link:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Halloween.
Before you begin your research, consider the following questions:
1. How long has your chosen country been celebrating Halloween?
2. What unique traditions does it have?
3. What costumes do people dress up in?
4. Why has Halloween become popular there?
Note: You may not find information on all these questions but as you read, write down any
other interesting facts you discover about your chosen country to share with your classmates.
Write your answers in note form and share your findings with your classmates.
Activity 4: Terrifying tales
Go to the following website and read the story: americanfolklore.net/folklore/2009/10/the_
hairy_toe.html.
Answer the following 13 (unlucky for some) questions below.
1. What was the woman digging up to cook for dinner?
3. Why did she put ‘the hairy toe’ in her basket?
4. What did she cook with ‘the hairy toe’?
5. Later that night, what did the voice coming from the woods say?
6. Was the voice heard in the same place or was it getting closer?
7. Where was the voice coming from when the old lady woke up?
8. What did she do when she jumped out of bed?
9. Where was the old lady when she saw the massive figure in her doorway?
10. How did the old lady respond to the figure?
11. What finally happened to the old lady?
12. What was the only clue to her disappearance?
13. What was distinct about the footprint?
Visit the following weblink and choose a story that interests you: www.americanfolklore.net/
spooky-stories.html. Read it and make notes in your own language. You may need to use a
dictionary or ask your teacher for help with the vocabulary.
Once you’ve completed your notes, share the story with your classmates. Did you manage to
scare them with your tale?
